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IGN Review of N+
The Nintendo DS has loads of animal games, and now it finally has one featuring the coolest animal of all: the majestic Ninja. You might be familiar with the N franchise, which began as a free online Flash game and was enhanced for Xbox Live Arcade earlier this year. The littlest ninja has now made his way to both current handheld systems, and regardless of whether or not you have enjoyed his exploits before, you should do yourself a favor and get to know him. This is one incredible action platformer. Even if you've played N+ on XBLA, the DS version includes all new levels, new modes, and really fits the handheld well.
N+ is a celebration of old school gaming. Without any context or setup, you play as a ninja navigating grey environments in search of gold. If you boiled the platformer genre down to its purest essence, N+ is what you'd get. You move and jump. That's it. The controls are dead on, and the game has a very clean, minimal style. Levels are quite short -- perfect for portable gaming. In each, you'll need to help your ninja buddy make his way to the exit. Various traps and obstacles will get in the way, and there is also that pesky time limit to keep an eye on. Luckily, there is plenty of gold lying around that will add seconds to the clock. The game runs on an impressive physics engine that lets you slide, bounce, and float to your destinations.
The overall map of your current level is displayed on the top screen, while the bottom provides a close-up of the action. This is where the DS design comes in particularly handy, as having that map to glance at above makes navigating some of the trickier levels a bit easier.
Surprisingly, the DS game includes more features than its console counterpart. While the XBLA game had a level editor, it didn't allow users to share their created content. Here on the DS, you can create your own ninja playgrounds and upload them to challenge the world. There are also new competitive multiplayer modes like Tag and Domination. During Tag, whoever is "it" loses time. Domination is a variation on Capture the Flag.
If you played the 360 game you'll notice the physics feel a little different here. They're not bad; they just take a little getting used to. When your ninja explodes, his body parts lack a realistic sense of weight. The sound effects don't pop as well and deaths aren't quite as satisfying, but the new modes and functionality make up for these slight shortcomings. The music for N+ has a very 8-bit, chiptune sound, but the tunes are arranged in modern nerdcore style. The juxtaposition of old school sounds with 2008 production fits the space age retro theme of the game perfectly.
©2008-08-25, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
N+ is a celebration of old school gaming. Without any context or setup, you play as a ninja navigating grey environments in search of gold. If you boiled the platformer genre down to its purest essence, N+ is what you'd get. You move and jump. That's it. The controls are dead on, and the game has a very clean, minimal style. Levels are quite short -- perfect for portable gaming. In each, you'll need to help your ninja buddy make his way to the exit. Various traps and obstacles will get in the way, and there is also that pesky time limit to keep an eye on. Luckily, there is plenty of gold lying around that will add seconds to the clock. The game runs on an impressive physics engine that lets you slide, bounce, and float to your destinations.
The overall map of your current level is displayed on the top screen, while the bottom provides a close-up of the action. This is where the DS design comes in particularly handy, as having that map to glance at above makes navigating some of the trickier levels a bit easier.
Surprisingly, the DS game includes more features than its console counterpart. While the XBLA game had a level editor, it didn't allow users to share their created content. Here on the DS, you can create your own ninja playgrounds and upload them to challenge the world. There are also new competitive multiplayer modes like Tag and Domination. During Tag, whoever is "it" loses time. Domination is a variation on Capture the Flag.
If you played the 360 game you'll notice the physics feel a little different here. They're not bad; they just take a little getting used to. When your ninja explodes, his body parts lack a realistic sense of weight. The sound effects don't pop as well and deaths aren't quite as satisfying, but the new modes and functionality make up for these slight shortcomings. The music for N+ has a very 8-bit, chiptune sound, but the tunes are arranged in modern nerdcore style. The juxtaposition of old school sounds with 2008 production fits the space age retro theme of the game perfectly.
©2008-08-25, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved